Time to act on cleanup plan

Published 12:02 pm, Monday, April 25, 2016

We know how integral the Great Lakes are to Michigans economy and way of life. The great bodies of water are intricately woven into the fabric of our history  and our future.

For years Great Lakes states like Michigan have been working to impress upon decision makers the importance of the Great Lakes not only to them, but to our nation. And on Wednesday Michigan leaders were at it again as they espoused the importance of a proposed Great Lakes cleanup plan in Washington.

The plan, put together by a wide array of people, covers a vast spectrum of issues that need to be addressed to repair our lakes and ensure their health in the future. And scientists warned that swift action is crucial as our lakes show dangerous signs of illness  signs that could point we are closer than ever to reaching permanent damage.

The Great Lakes account for 95 percent of Americas fresh water. And on the world stage these bodies of water make up one-fifth of the fresh surface water. And according to www.great-lakes.net, the shoreline along the Great Lakes equals almost 44 percent of the earths circumference.

The Great Lakes are a true gem among natural resources. To not protect them or to abandon them at a time when they desperately need our help to make them well again (after we have caused much of the damage in the first place), would be criminal. It also would be extremely foolish and short-sighted. Its time decision-makers stopped talking about cleaning up the Great Lakes and take action to make the cleanup happen  before its too late.